everton

FC Barcelona confirmed they have taken up their option to evoke the 12 million euro ($13.71 million) buyback clause on winger Gerard Deulofeu.

The 23-year-old winger, who is currently with the Spain Under-21 squad playing in the European Championships in Poland, broke records while in the Barcelona youth system and scored 18 goals with the club's B-team in the 2012-13 season. However, he was unable to establish himself in the first team squad and after loan spells with Everton and Sevilla he was eventually sold to Everton in 2015 after former Barca coach, Luis Enrique decided he didn't want him.

Everton's star striker Romelu Lukaku has asserted that staying at the city-based football club next season is not an option and he is exploring possibilities to move to a more reputed club in England.

"Staying at Everton is not really an option for next season. There is nothing concrete with another club at the moment. My agent (Mino Raiola) is busy discussing things. I'm not going to make big declarations about my future," Lukaku was quoted as saying by telegraph.co.uk on Tuesday.

Spain winger Gerard Deulofeu has hinted at a possible return to Catalan football giants FC Barcelona over the summer.

Deulofeu is currently working with the Spain squad ahead of the forthcoming games against Colombia and Macedonia, before linking up with the Under-21 squad to play in the European under-21 Championships.

Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp on Friday said that forward Sadio Mane will miss the rest of the English football season as the Senegal star will undergo surgery on his injured left knee. The 24-year-old, who has scored 13 goals in 29 appearances this term, sustained the injury during the second half of Saturday's Merseyside derby victory over Everton.

"Sadio will, we're pretty sure, need surgery. We're not 100 per cent sure when it will happen, but then it is clear his season is over," Klopp said, according to Liverpool FC's website.

Liverpool defeated Everton 3-1 in what was the 228th Merseyside football derby to jump to third spot in the Premier League standings on Saturday.

Senegalese winger Sadio Mane opened scoring for Liverpool after just eight minutes at Anfield. English defender Matthew Pennington, a surprise starter for Everton, scored the equaliser for the visitors in the 28th minute.

Spanish winger Gerard Deulofeu has joined Italian giants AC Milan on loan from English side Everton for the remainder of the 2016-17 season.

"AC Milan announces to have signed the player Gerard Deulofeu on a loan deal from Everton FC, until June 30," said the club in a brief statement on its website, accompanied by a photo of the player and the club's CEO, Adriano Galliani.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte could be seen offloading defender Branislav Ivanovic in the near future, with Everton known to be interested in acquiring his services, according to a revelation made by The Daily Mail.

It is understood that the Merseysiders are set to part ways with their own star, Phil Jagielka, soon, and that they view the star Serb as the perfect replacement for the possibly Sunderland-bound Englishman.